LETTER: Our military strength is critical

Tuesday

Aug 13, 2013 at 12:01 AMAug 13, 2013 at 4:24 PM

Most of us have little or no knowledge about our national military readiness, our nuclear defense, or the circumstances under which our military are required to perform. But Lt. Col. Oliver North, USMC (Ret.) who frequently visits the war zone, is well aware of these conditions and is very concerned and eager to educate the public about what is being done to our military and defense capabilities.

Col. North reminds us that one of Obama’s first acts in office was to cancel plans to place a missile defense shield in eastern Europe. With the START III Treaty with Russia, our nuclear arsenal was cut in half, from roughly 3,000 to 1,500, a move which handed Russia nuclear superiority. Since his re-election, Obama has quietly ordered the Defense Department to explore the possibility of reducing our arsenal down to as few as 300 warheads.

America is already more than 90 percent dependant on foreign sources of uranium – with half of that from Russia – to fuel 104 nuclear reactors that provide power for more than 1 in 5 American homes and businesses. Although we could produce our own uranium, the Obama Administration shut that possibility down when Interior Secretary Salazar issued an order in 2012 to lock up one million acres of federal land in northwestern Arizona that holds the nation’s highest grade uranium ore.

The assault on our military, our national defense, and our national security is across the board:

The Air Force: Our fighter jet force is aging and rapidly becoming obsolete. But Obama has canceled development of a new state-of-the-art F-22 Raptor fighter jet and slowed purchase of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Defense Department plans on eliminating 280 aircraft and 9,900 airmen.

The Navy: Obama has called on the Navy to cancel long held plans for a 300 ship fleet, to retire nine current ships early and cut or delay the purchase of 16 others. He is sharply curtailing the Navy’s shipbuilding capabilities.

The Army: Obama plans to cut 72,000 soldiers.

The Marines: He is ordering the elimination of six battalions, four tactical air squadrons and up to 50,000 marines.

He is calling for a new round of base closures. A much-needed new ground combat vehicle for the Army, a new defense weather satellite system, the C-27A transport plane and other needed military weapons and weapons systems are all canceled.

Major Joe Gilbert, USA (Ret.) of Tea Party Vets has been speaking up about Obama moving his environmental agenda into the military. Obama issued a direct order that saddles them with the latest thing in eco-ideology: Battery-powered trucks! In May 2011, Obama decreed in his Executive Order 13423 that: The entire fleet of vehicles must use alternative fuels by 2015. Never mind that these cost at least three times more than comparative vehicles fueled by gasoline and are massively less efficient, and absolutely no legislation was involved in the implementation of this green agenda-driven Executive Order.

Can you imagine the scene if the enemy knows we can only travel 100 miles and then need 8 hours to recharge our batteries? It’s obvious they could pick our military off by just watching the clock. And these trucks would be powered by the same flawed battery technology that keeps bursting into flames in electric autos.

Do you not agree that this is madness and our national defense is in great danger?